Chương 428: New Foods and Designs

They went to a private dining hall located in the upper spires of the fortress. The room was a testament to the Xul'Thar's attempt at refinement. The table was a slab of polished basalt that was incredibly large and the chairs were reinforced iron thrones cushioned with the hides of fire-drakes. Li Yu climbed into his chair looking quite small while Zaltar settled in with a groan of relief, his four arms adjusting various napkins and utensils. The food soon arrived.

It was carried by a nervous-looking demon server flanked by two hulking demon sous-chefs. It was a fusion of human ingredients that could be found here and Xul'Thar cooking methods, a culinary experiment born of necessity and curiosity.

"Try this," Zaltar gestured to a steaming platter with his upper-left hand.

"It is Obsidian Dumplings. The wrapper is made from a local grain that grows only in ash-fall and the filling is spicy magma-crab." Li Yu picked one up with his chopsticks. The dumpling was jet black and glistening with chili oil. Li Yu didn't know if they had something similar to chili oil where they were from or if they adapted to the spices here. He took a bite of the not so appetizing looking dumpling. The sensation was immediate.

The wrapper shattered with a satisfying glass-like crunch, instantly giving way to a soft and steaming interior. The flavor was smoky, earthy and then the spice hit him like a warhammer to the tongue but a flavorful warhammer. It was a heat that didn't just burn, it woke up the nervous system.

"Incredible!" Li Yu praised as he was reaching for his water glass as steam practically vented from his ears.

"The contrast in textures is masterful. You have culinary talent."

"We like to experiment, especially now that so many things here are different." Zaltar said, looking pleased that the food was liked. He poured a drink from a stone jug and the liquid glowed a radioactive green.

"This is Fern-Ale. Fermented from the aggressive jungle plants near the border. It fights you a little bit on the way down." Zaltar took a swig and sighed contentedly.

"So, Li Yu. You see us now. We are not just great warriors. We are... trying to be creators. To adapt to this new life that was thrusted upon us. But it is difficult to rewire a thousand years of instinct." That comment resonated with Li Yu, having embarked on a new life and journey himself. While not entirely the same, it was very similar.

"I see that and you and your people are doing an amazing job," Li Yu nodded.

"The pulley system in the lobby. The farming tactics. It is unique. You approach creation with the intensity of destruction."

"My soldiers are restless," Zaltar admitted, his mood darkening slightly as he stared into his glowing cup.

"We are used to a life with constant combat. For force. Our muscles twitch when the air is too quiet. Without war, that kinetic energy builds up in the blood. We try to channel it into building but sometimes..." He clenched his lower right fist, the metal creaking.

"Sometimes you do not want to build a wall. Sometimes you just want to hit something until it stops existing."

"Then do not deny the nature," Li Yu suggested, taking a sip of the Fern-Ale. It tasted like pine needles and adrenaline.

"Transform it. Turn the hitting into creating." Zaltar tilted his head with all four eyes blinking in unison.

"How?"

"Impact Sculpting," Li Yu improvised, the idea forming as he spoke.

"Sculpting is usually done with a small chisel and a light hammer. Tap, tap, tap. It is boring for a demon." Li Yu gestured with his chopsticks.

"Instead... you use your weapons. You take a massive boulder of stone, ores or other materials. You use your warhammers, your glaives, your fists. But the goal isn't to destroy it, it's to reveal the shape inside. You must strike with enough force to shatter the excess stone but enough control to stop exactly at the layer you want to keep. A form of control and destruction."

"My own guild master tells me that people with wealth love to collect unique things. What could be more unique to humans than sculptures and crafts that are made by their new neighbors and for some, their long time enemy." Zaltar paused and he was visualizing it. A warrior standing before a block of rock. A full-force overhead smash that shears away the outer crust and reveals a perfect sphere underneath. It required immense power, yes, but even more terrifying control.

"Precision through overwhelming force," Zaltar whispered, the concept resonating with his martial soul.

"A martial art... that creates art. To strike with the force of a dragon but stop exactly at the grain of the stone."

"Exactly," Li Yu said.

"Hold a competition. Who can carve the most delicate flower using only a two-handed war-axe for example. Then you can also sell these things to get more of what your people need." Zaltar slammed his hand on the table, cracking the basalt slightly.

"Genius! It will test their control! It will test their strength! And we will have statues to decorate the town! The rest we will sell! Li Yu, I never expected you to be a person of business and trade." This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. As they were discussing the logistics of safety goggles for the audience in the first ever competition the heavy iron doors creaked open. Lady Vyltra glided in.

She wore robes of deep violet silk and were embroidered with silver thread. It was a striking mix of human fashion and demon aesthetic. The high collars to accentuate her horns but flowing sleeves that softened her deadly silhouette.

"Zaltar," she said calmly, ignoring the cracked table.

"The bridge engineers have finally compromised."

"Do tell," Zaltar grunted while offering her a dumpling.

"The humans insisted on safety rails for the Lava-Flow Bridge," Vyltra explained, declining the food.

"Our engineers insisted that rails are for the weak and ruin the aesthetic of danger. We have agreed that the bridge will have rails but the rails will be made of spikes to add an element of danger."

"Acceptable," Zaltar nodded sagely.

"Safety but with menace. The people shouldn't object to that." Vyltra turned to Li Yu.

"Li Yu. It is good to see you again. I was told the news about your home. I am sorry for your loss."

"Thank you, Lady Vyltra," Li Yu stood and bowed respectfully.

"You look well. Governance seems to suit you."

"I am busy," she sighed, sitting down and pouring herself a glass of the glowing green ale.

"Managing trade agreements is harder than managing a siege. Humans love contracts and agreements. They love fine print. But we are learning. Did you know the humans pay a fortune for volcanic glass art and jewelry? We have mountains of it here. We thought it was debris. Apparently to the humans we are sitting on a gold mine if we can come up with unique designs that represent us."

"One man's trash is another man's jewelry," Li Yu smiled.

"Wealthy people love to collect as I was just telling Demon Lord Zaltar here."

"How is Krell?" she asked suddenly. Her eyes were sharp, searching Li Yu's face.

"He is well," Li Yu assured them.

"He is in the Central Continent. He has joined my trade guild, the Golden Shell Guild to explore around there. Last I heard of him, he was extremely excited about a deposit of some rare ores we found. He wears a disguise of black mist so he doesn't scare the locals." Zaltar snorted so hard smoke came out of his nose.

"Krell in a disguise? He probably looks like a storm cloud with anger issues. That is supposed to be less terrifying this his real form?"

"Accurate," Li Yu admitted.

"But he is free. He travels and he forges whenever the mood strikes him. My guildmaster tells me he complains about the quality of human ores constantly which I believe means he is happy."

"We miss his grumpiness," Vyltra said softly while swirling her drink.

"But he is a smith. He follows the metal. We are happy he found a forge. He probably would have exploded if he stayed here and had to take up leadership like we did." This was the most that Li Yu had ever heard Lady Vyltra speak. Before she seemed so cold and distant but now she seemed much more friendly. Li Yu stayed in Cinder-Rest for two more days as he looked around and spent more time with the two leaders. He was staying there to witness the inaugural "Impact Sculpting" competition.

It was held in the town square with a crowd of humans and demons watching from a safe distance behind reinforced barriers. The first contestant was a massive demon named Gorg the Smasher. He stood before a block of sandstone the size of a carriage. He held a mace that weighed as much as a horse.

"BEGIN!" Zaltar roared from the judge's podium. Gorg roared. He spun and struck. BOOM. A shockwave rattled the windows of the nearby shops. Dust exploded outward. When the cloud settled, the square block of stone was gone. In its place stood... a slightly smaller, rounder block of stone.

"It is a pebble!" Gorg declared proudly.

"A giant pebble!"

"It's a start!" Zaltar cheered, holding up a scorecard giving it a 7/10.

"Next time, try to make it look less like a potato! But the cleavage was clean! Also, we need unique and interesting designs. That way we can sell or trade it for more things." The next day Li Yu prepared to leave and continue on his path. He walked to the eastern edge of the Cinder-Rest territory where the volcanic lands began to merge back into the jungle. Li Yu stood on a cliff of stone and was looking around and trying to decide where he was going to go next.

Zaltar joined him up there, his heavy footsteps crunching on the glass-like rock.

"Where will you go now?" Zaltar asked.

"I am going to go further west. The East is still in a state of recovery and rebuilding. It doesn't seem right to go 'have fun' there while people are working so hard," Li Yu said as he was pointing west. Zaltar chuckled. He reached into his belt and pulled out a heavy medallion made of a special black iron because it was incredibly heavy. It wasn't a military badge but it did have a new design that Li Yu had never seen before. It was stamped with the image of a warhammer and a quill crossed over a turnip.

"Take this," Zaltar said, handing it over.

"It is the new mark of our domain. It shows we are warriors, scholars, and... whatever the turnip represents. Persistence, I suppose. If you show this to any Xul'Thar, they will know you are a friend. With the highest authority possible."

"I will treasure it," Li Yu said as he felt the weight of the iron. He stored it inside his storage ring.

"Visit again," Zaltar grunted, crossing his four arms.

"And bring more of that Monkey Wine you let me try. We are trying to replicate it using fermented lava-berries and other fruits around here but the casks keep exploding." Li Yu laughed. He bowed to the Demon General.

"I will, thank you for having me." Li Yu turned and began walking down the obsidian path, heading back toward the dense green heart of the continent. As he passed the agricultural fields on his way out, he saw the farming demon from before. The demon was still sitting in front of the turnip. His arms were crossed and he was still staring at it with the intense unblinking focus of a hunter waiting for a target. His patience was incredible.

"I am still here, turnip," the demon whispered grimly to the small green sprout.

"I have nowhere else to be. I have rations. I have patience. I will outwait you. We are in a stalemate and I never surrender." Li Yu smiled. The Xul'Thar were finding their way. It wasn't perfect and it was occasionally explosive but it was now their home.